The moment Adrian said, "I exist," the world didn't respond.
It hesitated.
Not visibly, not physically, but in meaning. The space that had frozen under the presence of the Source—the absolute authority that had denied everything—didn't immediately accept his words.
But it didn't reject them either.
For the first time—
There was conflict.
The Source didn't move.
It didn't need to.
Its presence alone had already rewritten the rules of interaction. Everything that had existed before—outcomes, decisions, even contradictions—had been replaced by something more fundamental.
Law.
"…You are an irregularity."
Its voice carried without sound, existing directly within Adrian's awareness.
Adrian exhaled slowly.
"…And you're not used to that."
A pause.
For the first time—
The Source didn't respond immediately.
Because that—
Was true.
The air didn't shift.
The space didn't react.
But something deeper—
Moved.
